


Dead Star, Dying Planet

by tearoseglasses



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Look i got really invested in this character i created, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:54:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearoseglasses/pseuds/tearoseglasses
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Dead Star, Dying Planet

Was she ready for this? It had been so many years... and then to be thrown into this... fucked up world. Full of brainwashed worker bees and capitalist wasps disguised as the queens. About to enter the very ship that caused everything to happen. 

The Hope. 

She'd clung to the name like it was an upright rock keeping her from falling over a waterfall. Hope. All she could have was Hope. Hope that the Unreliable would keep moving. That Max wouldn’t have a breakdown with a lack of drugs. That Nyoka wouldn't need to have her heart started up again. That Felix wouldn't get himself killed. That Parvati would keep believing in herself. That Ellie would continue to warm up to her. That SAM wouldn't wake her up in the middle of the night again. That ADA wouldn’t be too angry when she finally reveals that its partially her fault that Alex died. Even though there was little she could have done to prevent that. 

And that The Board hadn't started ordering a mass execution of the people aboard the ship. 

"Captain. Be aware that you are not insured."

"I know, ADA. I'll see you in a few." 

"Be careful."

She had promised the crew she'd sleep. Get a full night’s rest before going in, guns loaded, to start up The Hope. She had promised she wouldn’t go alone. That must in case The Board planted something impossible to kill. That she would have someone with her. 

She is sorry for lying. But she will not risk them. Not more than she already is. Parvati found Junlei. Nyoka found peace. Max learned the way of Chaos. Ellie found that not everything needs to be returned. And Felix found a family. And he'll still have that family. Even if she’s gone. 

ADA knows what to do if she doesn't come back. The ship goes to all of them. 

She ducks behind a crate as a guard walks past. Her gun is ready. She takes her shot, aiming for one spot, a crack between the helmet and armor where the spine is well exposed. It hits and they fall. It pulls the attention of the other guard. She takes another shot and they fall too. 

One of them looks important. 

She walks to them and pulls a security tag off their neck. Good. Now if she needs the disguise, she has one. She walks over to the computer on the dock. Reroute power. Easy enough. She wasn’t just labeled "No discernable aptitude" for no reason. 

Within a few moments, the power is rerouted and a new option pops up. 

"Disable artillery...? Probably the best option..." she types a few more things in, selects the option, and steps back from the computer. She continues forward, missing the three heads poking out The Unreliable's door. 

Each door opens with her approach and what she finds are rooms littered with freshly bleeding out people next to disabled bots. They did all the work for her. How kind. She walks into one open room, staring through the glass at thousands of pods. Only one is seen missing. Hers. She was there. She looks around the room. One broken open pod sits. That can't be hers. Welles' had to use it right up until she crash-landed. 

So who's pod was it? 

She walks down to the computer and opens it. Logs from Welles' are there. Her eyes skim over the first two before she feels sick. She was the 13th. What of the others? They all died? He failed 12 people before she was the lucky one? 

Oh. 

Oh please. 

Please don't let one be her. Please. She cannot have been dead the whole time. Please. She pulls up the next. A list. 

Stanton, Harley.

Jesse, Gavin.

Parry, Johan.

Galloway, Rian. 

Choi, Kristie. 

McCaffrey, Anne-Marie.

Andrew, Mack.

Booth, Jonas. 

Simpson, Abigayle.

Campos, Lynn.

Koch, Kymani.

Her heart stops. 

Green, Essie. 

No. No. 

She falls to the ground, choking out a sob, "Essie..." this entire time. She'd already been dead. She'd already been dead. Just months before she was revived, Essie died. In a horrible, horrible, way. 

She rips the scythe off her back and cuts through the empty pod before dropping it and slouching, hands over her eyes, wiping away tears as they come. 

"Bea?"

Ellie. 

"What the fuck is your problem?! You promised us you wouldn't try and do this alone!"

"Felix-"

"No! I-" he cuts himself off as a shaking, racking, breath echoes in the room. The small, ragtag, group looks at each other. Max straightens and walks down the steps to her. He kneels down next to her. Waiting until her breathing calms more and her shoulders relax more and her hands fall from her face.

"Beatrix? What happened?"

"She’s dead..." Her voice is strained and tense. Forced. "My star is gone." Her hands move back up to her face as eye tears gather with more speed. 

Max looks up at the others. They're all frozen. She'd told them all stories from Earth. The stupidest one was the way she met Essie. Hitting her when she was waving her hands around and getting Essie's hair tangled in the rings she had on. 

Max looks back at her and pulls her into a hug. She'd never been the most touchy but she gripped onto him. He looks at the others. They look at each other then back at him. He looks back down at her, tucking her head under his chin. There are no words that could help right at this moment. 

Eventually, she carefully pushes out of his arms. She takes a deep breath before standing and offering Max a hand. He takes it. 

She promised she'd save The Hope too.


End file.
